Hygiene, part of well-being. How to identify if you are disinfecting the house in the wrong way

One of my earliest memories is the pungent smell of alcohol. Every night, my mom sprayed the drying rack and the kitchen shelves with isopropyl alcohol to disinfect them. But she didn’t surprise me: she took care of me for months when I caught salmonella as a kid. Microbes were her greatest enemy. And so am I I became a real crazy about the subject. I became a germaphobe. So it’s not uncommon for me to have grown up with germ phobia. In fact, I keep an impressive arsenal of antimicrobial wipes in the basement, I have at least seven bottles of hand sanitizer scattered around the house and car, and I keep an emergency bag in the closet with bleach wipes and other deep disinfection paraphernalia for if the dreaded stomach bug attacks our house. I must admit that There is a difference between cleaning and tidying. I’m a fan of the first, but very lazy for the second.

Currently and due to the pandemic, I am not the only one with panic microbes In a survey of 2,000 American adults last year, 42 percent of respondents described themselves as misophobic, but our fears aren’t always well founded, I learned from interviewing chemists and cleaning experts. turns out many popular cleaning practices are not effective and some are unnecessary.

I often think of viruses and bacteria as “bad,” but many of them do good things, like the ones in the gut that help us digest food and build immunity. “Microbes are everywhere”, said Erica Hartmann, an environmental engineer at Northwestern University. “And that’s not always a bad thing.” Research reveals that kids who grow up on farms, surrounded by microbes, have a lower risk of developing asthma and allergies.

There is a difference between cleaning and disinfecting. Cleaning removes things from surfaces: dust, crumbs, microbes, dog hair. Sanitizing kills things: usually viruses and bacteria. “Cleaning is something we might want to do on a regular basis,” Hartmann said. But we only have to worry about killing (disinfecting) the dangerous germs that cause illness, and we can often predict where they will be.

For example, it is not necessary disinfect kitchen counters every day, unless you have cooked raw meat. Either it is necessary to disinfect the bathroom obsessively, unless someone in the house has an infection.

When my 11-year-old spills honey on the kitchen table at breakfast, there’s no need to resort to a disinfectant wipe. Soap and water remove sticky residue. Soap is also great for removing germs from your hands, but you need to lather up a lot and wash for 20 seconds.

The excessive use of certain disinfectants, Like quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs), it carries long-term risks. These QACs, or “quats” as they are also called, are found in many popular household cleaning products, including sprays and wipes made by Lysol and Clorox. According to Hartmann, “these cleaning products can increase the risk of antibiotic resistance. Although the experts I spoke with disagree on how much to worry about, Pawel Misztal, a chemist who studies disinfectants at the University of Texas at Austin, maintains that disinfectants such as chlorine, ammonia and quats release gases that can be harmful. That is why it is recommended use them when you need to disinfect, but not when you just want to clean.

When you have reason to worry about bad germs, they can be killed with a disinfectant. Some chemicals work better than others. “Soap and water can kill microbes when foaming, but they are not foolproof as the most powerful options when it comes to removing microbes from surfaces,” said Bill Wuest, a chemist at Emory University. Disinfectants such as bleach, isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol, ethanol, hydrogen peroxide, and quaternary ammonium compound cleaners are much more effective.

“In case of using a disinfectant that releases gases, such as chlorine or ammonia, it is recommended to first ventilate the area by opening doors or windows, or put on a disposable mask and throw it away later,” suggested Misztal.

“I hate to say it, but maybe you’re sanitizing the wrong way. Many people spray or spread disinfectants on a surface and to the touch they clean the liquid with a paper towel or a sponge”, Wuest explained. “This removes the chemical before it has a chance to disinfect,” he added.

“When you buy a product in a store, disinfection time should be listed on the label. For example, Lysol disinfectant spray should remain on the surface for three minutes. Recommendations for bleach solutions range from one to ten minutes. Alcohol-based solutions do not need to be cleaned as they end up evaporating”, said Cassandra Quave, an ethnobotanist at Emory University. “And you may have to leave some botanical disinfectants on for a long time, even 15 or 30 minutes,” Hartmann said.

In summary: us misophobes can continue to delight in the elimination of microbes, but perhaps not all. When I have to clean up a spill, I use soap and water or a mild cleaning spray, not a disinfectant; but after handling raw meat, or when a family member is sick, I choose the strongest product to clean contaminated surfaces and make sure to let it sit, with the windows open, long enough to take effect. While I’m waiting, maybe I’ll have time to tidy up the house.